Chapter 10 - THE UNMARKED ROAD
The Pentagon Observer let out a quiet breath, slowly tucking his credential pass back inside his dark jacket. He looked around the empty, cavernous facility, then back at the small woman standing firmly on the blue mat.
"Your cover here as a standard maintenance operator is officially compromised, Mitchell," the Observer said, his voice dropping into a serious, protective tone. "If intelligence analysts review the security footage from this match, they will identify that throw within twenty-four hours."
Commander Hayes stepped forward, placing his hand over the main recording console mounted near the VIP platform. With a single, firm movement, he pressed the master emergency purge button. The red recording lights on the wall-mounted cameras flickered three times and went black, wiping the local server drive clean.
"There is no footage, sir," Hayes said calmly, looking at the Observer. "Instructor Briggs slipped on a damp section of the mat during a routine exercise."
The Pentagon Observer looked at Hayes, a faint, knowing smirk touching the corner of his mouth. He nodded once, acknowledging the commander's quick loyalty.
The Observer turned back to Avery one last time, extending his gloved hand. Avery reached out, her grip firm, precise, and unwavering.
"Keep your head down, Mitchell," the Observer whispered. "The world isn't ready to know who survived Blackwood Basin."
"Understood, sir," Avery replied smoothly.
May you like
The Pentagon Observer turned and walked quietly out the grand main doors, his boots clicking against the polished floor until the heavy doors clicked shut.
Avery stood alone on the blue mat alongside Commander Hayes under the bright lights of the empty arena. She adjusted her olive tactical top, pulled her blonde ponytail tight, and turned toward the exit, ready to return to the shadows where her true legacy belonged.
